Prepared Especially for the Language Arts and Science Professional Learning Communities of DEER VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL by Dan Mulligan, Ed. D. December 2009

“Seven Survival Skills for the New Economy” ~Tony Wagner, The Global Achievement Gap 1.Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving 2.Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence 3.Agility and Adaptability 4.Initiative and Entrepreneurialism 5.Effective Oral and Written Communication 6.Accessing and Analyzing Information 7.Curiosity and Imagination “Rigor” is using academic knowledge to create new knowledge/content and to solve real problems. “Engagement” begins with the MIND, not with the HANDS (that is a very loose paraphrase) — activities & action do not equal “rigor”

Stacking Cups Supplies Please send a team member to obtain the supplies for your team.

Stacking Cups Supplies Team Task: Your team task is to create the pyramid of cups (illustrated above); without touching the cups; using each of the 6 pieces of string and the rubber band; each team member must participate in the solution. Team Procedure: analyze and reach consensus on a method of solution; value each person’s opinion and contribution; After consensus, execute (modify as needed) your team’s plan.

Before……. Underline all the adjectives on page 10. Then use at least 8 of these adjectives in a paragraph of your own about a topic of your choice. After……. Sit in front of the school and write a paragraph that describes clearly how the school looks from your perspective. We will your description to a student in Alaska, who will draw a picture of the school as it is described by you. Be as specific as possible, so that the drawing will look just like your view of the school.

Moving BEYOND “the correct answer” My only skill is taking tests.

Premise of the Workshop We need to stop asking “how?’ We now have all the knowledge, the skills, the methods, the tools, the capacity, and the freedom to do whatever is required to serve all students well. All that is needed is the will and the courage to choose and to move on. Peter Block, 1998

Give One … Get One …  On the back of your handout, write one way being a teacher/administrator in Arizona is like an astronaut on a walk in space. Think and be creative.  When signaled, circulate the room to meet a colleague. Give him/her your answer and get their answer.  You need a total of 2 answers. You may not get more than one idea from an individual. When you have completed your task, return to your seat.  Enjoy!

14 Identifying Similarities and Differences

What processes can students engage in to identify similarities and differences? Comparing The process of identifying and articulating similarities and differences among items. Classifying The process of grouping things into definable categories on the basis of their attributes. Creating Metaphors The process of identifying and articulating the underlying theme or general pattern in information. Creating Analogies The process of identifying relationships between pairs of concepts (e.g., relationships between relationships).

Hey… This looks familiar… Which of the high yield instructional strategies do you see in this structure? Hey… This looks familiar… Which of the high yield instructional strategies do you see in this structure?

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: Sports YESNo StrikeStick SplitPuck PinHoop GutterGoal Rule: Bowling Terms

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: History and Social Science YESNo HemisphereOlympic Games EquatorDemocracy Prime MeridianKings RegionsWealth Rule: Things you’d find on a globe

WHAT’S MY RULE? Theme: _______________ YESNo Rule: _________________________ STUDENT CENTERED APPROACH

Steps: 1.Find a person currently not seated next to you. Make friends 2. This person is now your FOUR-SECOND PARTNER!

Personal Learning Goals I will recognize strategies that have improved achievement for our students; I will recognize strategies that have improved achievement for our students; I will use data to focus additional improvement efforts to reach more students; I will use data to focus additional improvement efforts to reach more students; I will support my peers by offering constructive feedback to improve their efforts; and I will support my peers by offering constructive feedback to improve their efforts; and I will enjoy working with my colleagues! I will enjoy working with my colleagues!

SAMPLE Pre-assessment that includes differentiation SAMPLE Pre-assessment that includes differentiation

When students know what they are learning, their performance, on average, has been shown to be 27 percentile points higher than students who do not know what they are learning.

Explorer Types of pictures: Draw an example.

Research on Imagery as Elaboration 6 37 percentile pts. higher than… …students who kept repeating definitions percentile pts. higher than… …students who were using the terms in a sentence. Students who used imagery to learn vocabulary, on average, performed # of studies

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS Cindy McCain Organizing Theme: Things someone would say… Bill ClintonGeorge Bush Barak Obama! Sarah PalinJohn Kyle SPECIAL ELECTION 2008 EDITION

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS noun Organizing Theme: English verbadjective parts of a story transition words parts of a letter

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS Science Experiment Hypothesis Energy Electron DissolveAtmosphere

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS CIVIC DUTYLAWS GLOBAL ECONOMYPRIVATE PROPERTY CONSUMER RIGHTS PATRIOTISM US History

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS

Page 19 Page 19

Minority Student Achievement in Suburban Schools ~Toward Excellence with Equity, Ronald Ferguson, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, 2007 Survey of all students in 15 middle and upper income school districts in 10 states; Examined family characteristics, opinions about quality of instruction, achievement motivation, course-taking, effort, comprehension, GPA and other factors; When I work hard, it is because my teacher tells me I can do well. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No”) (Grades 1 – 6) When I work hard, it is because my teacher tells me I can do well. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No”) (Grades 1 – 6)

Self-Assessment Tool

Research-based Strategy: Cooperative learning Percentile Gain 27 The GARDEN Plot

Why Group Teams Heterogeneously? One high, one high medium, one low medium, and one low achieving student Produce the greatest opportunity for peer tutoring and active participation Maximum cross-race, cross-sex, & cross-ability team contact Make classroom management easier - assign roles Balanced HHM LM L

Successful Inclusion Instructional Strategies that Facilitate Successful Inclusion Must … Supply students with STRUCTURE and ORGANIZATION Encourage student COMMUNICATION and COLLABORATION Provide students with VISUAL and HANDS-ON learning experiences

Summarizing and Note Taking Generalizations form the research: – Verbatim note-taking is, perhaps, the least effective technique. – Notes should be considered a work in progress. – Notes should be used as a study guide for tests. – The more notes that are taken, the better.

Table of Content Samples

High-Yield Instructional Strategies

Self Reliance There are three types of baseball players—those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened. Tommy Lasorda teachers & administrators

1.Describe it (Describe its colors, shapes, and sizes. What does it look like?) 2.Compare it (What is it similar or different from?) 3.Associate it (What does it make you think of?) 4.Analyze it (How is it made or what is it composed of?) 5.Apply it (What can you do with it? How is it used? 6.Argue for or against it (Take a stand and list reasons for supporting it.) CUBING

TALK TO ME

Follow-up Debriefing Each pair should share with your other team members the method you used to graph the figure. Discuss with your team: – Which method appeals to you? – Is there another method that you would prefer? Prepare for a “pairs choice of method” with a new graph.

Key Question Did your performance on the second attempt to complete the grid exercise improve after having an opportunity to self-assess your initial strategy?

Empowers students to reflect on and refine their own understandings.

Formative Assessment Formative assessment is the process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust teaching and learning for the purpose of improving student learning. Council of Chief State School Officers, October 2006 Notes: Process rather than a particular test…. It is not the nature of the test itself that makes it formative or summative…it is the use to which those results will be put.

Thank you for all you do, for all the children! ~Dan